Helmet Wars! Protection

Last week I did a comic about helmets which led to the first abusive comments ever here at Mimi & Eunice (they remain unpublished). Most of my friends and loved ones weren’t crazy about that strip either. Yet, for some reason, after its lukewarm-to-hostile response I was surprisingly and effortlessly inspired to do 6 more comics about bike helmets! Comics that my friends and loved ones were sure to dislike, on an issue that has never been and will never be resolved. As my friend Gordon wrote,

Oh, Jeez, Nina, you’ve entered the HELMET WARS, in which anarchists and libertarians fight bitterly with helmet fascists and helmet nannies to the bitter end!! Only there is no end!!!

Why my Muse drags me into these things I cannot know, but my job is to obey Her. And so I bring you a new 7-part miniseries: Helmet Wars! To kick it off, here’s the not-cleaned-up version of that first comic (this one has a swear word!):

2 comments to Helmet Wars! Protection

I heard some actuarial data suggesting we could save thousands of lives every year by mandating pedestrians and drivers wear helmets too. I imagine the main reason we don’t have such legislation is because it would be infringing on our own liberty, as opposed to someone else’s in the case of current helmet laws.
All that said, I do wear a helmet. I have one friend who were it not for a helmet would not be breathing here today (his helmet cracked in half due to the impact; his skull didn’t).

They help save the lives of those who would otherwise suffer mortal injuries.

Downsides are mental distraction, physical encumbrance, and tendency to imbue the wearer with a feeling of invulnerability inclining them to take risks and enter situations they otherwise wouldn’t.

There is a sweet spot between risk of injury warranting their wearing, and their wearing increasing the risk of injury – and it will vary from person to person – even changing according to the person’s change in competence.